Castle of Himara

Himara Castle rises on a 140 m high hill. From the northeast and southeast the abyss serves as natural protection. The ancient fortification is built on a prehistoric fortification of Cen. VIII p.e.s, who has defined the line of the castle walls. The ancient walls are of the polygonal type intertwined with the trapezoidal, which surrounds the hill from the northeast to the northwest, leaving un fortified the part of the abyss, which rises above the Visha stream. The medieval phase of the walls rises exactly above the ancient phase. From the medieval phase the medieval entrance on the east side is preserved in good condition and a round tower on the northwest side has a height of 4 m. At the beginning of the century. XIX castle loses its defensive character and dwellings are built outside its perimeter wall, reaching today’s dimensions. The technique of building walls varies from one period to another. The ancient walls were worked with stone blocks in the shape of trapezoidal, polygonal, triangular and polygonal. In the Middle Ages the walls were built of small stones connected with mortar and tiles between them.